insalata caprese or to you and me Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

This has got to be one of the easiest and to me most delicious salads there is. It pretty much takes seconds to make. (So long as you have the ingredients) 

Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basil, Salt, Pepper, Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil. 

Here are some good recipes.

Epicurious

Jamie Oliver

But to be honest, get all the above lay the sliced tomatoes and Mozzarella on a plate, loads of basic, season and pour a little balsamic and olive oil over the top and EAT. Just perfect.

Quick Risotto and Sausage. Bank Holiday Monday in Germany

You have got to love Germany in May. There seems to be a Bank Holiday every week! Off course, you have to remember that a holiday to the German people is exactly that, there is NOTHING open.

So off course, we planned for a few days. It was raining today. Of course it was, it was a holiday! It got cold, so I made a risotto for lunch and even though it was only 13 degrees C outside, I BBQ-ed Bratwurst! See one of my previous posts.

I cheated. I used a stock cube! I know I wrote about homemade stock, but I was hungry and I did not have any.

Risotto is probably one the quickest richest rice dish from Europe, and so simple. If you want a quick rich meal where you can use lots of stuff up in your fridge then this is the meal for you.  The trick is once you have it going, is to keep it simmering until you get the rice to the tenderness you want. I use Risotto rice, but most rice will do, just realise that this is a quick meal, but needs your attention almost entirely from beginning to end.

Chow's risotto recommendations

Jamie Oliver's Risotto

There are countless recipes out there for this great simple dish. I especially love it, with a the end of a parmesan cheese, chopped and thrown in, as it just adds so much richness to it. Real Comfort food.

Loving Chow

I think Chow is a very cool food site. Seriously delicious quick and easy meals.


So go check out Chow, but come back

Best Knife Sharpener

For years I was a strong believer in the Stone for sharpening knives.
NO more. Yes I dreamed of owning the 500 Euro / Dollar electric sharpeners that Cooks Illustrated, America's Test Kitchen and lots of other sites recommended. But I do not have that kind of money.

What did I find? AccuSharp. It is, to put it mildy Amazing. Since getting my first, I bought a second for my cottage and the Scissor Sharpener too. It is just great. No more Stones for me. And no you do not need the 500 Euro / Dollar professional one. This is literally the last sharpener you ever need.

And unfortunately I am not paid by AccuSharp, but I would gladly accept money, if people purchase it, on my recommendation.

 

Interesting enough, Chow has a video on the old way. Try it if you like, but once you try this quick sharpener, you will store your stone away, as I have.

Fruit flies UPDATE

OK still have them..

Any suggestions?

Fruit Flies

I have fruit flies in my kitchen!

Trying a traditional vinegar trick. Will let you know..

A German sausage

I wrote a post a few years ago now, about the perfect sausage.

I will truly have to add to this soon, with an update for BBQ sausages and now of course the German sausages. 

Bottom line if you have never had a Bratwurst in a bun with mustard in Germany you have not lived. I am sure the Bavarians would say the same for Weisswurst, and I would have to agree. Whatever part of Germany you are in, you must try their local sausage. If you get a local beer too, all the better.

There really can not be an easier meal than Sausages.
Look at the great photo.

Looking forward to Summer in Canada and Pizza made on the BBQ

Yes Pizza on the BBQ. It is amazing.

I am very lucky to have a place to call home in Canada. We try to go there twice a year. One of the most amazing things about Canada, apart from the great supermarkets and specialist shops, all of whom speak English. Is the peoples attitude that cooking outside is a must, almost whatever the weather.

This may not be true to all Canadians, but to my wife's family it is a given. Whether the weather be hot or whether the weather be cold, they will use the BBQ.

One of the best things about the BBQ is the pizza. Yes I know. But remember it is an oven!

It is very simple. Make your pizza, which ever way you like. Personally there is nothing more satisfying than having homemade dough, but you choose. Just crank up the BBQ nice and hot. And put it on the BBQ on a metal tray. We use BBQ pizza trays, but I we used to use greased foil trays. And cook your pizza. The taste is amazing. It is as good, if not better than pizza over roasted.

Enjoy and let me know how yours turns out.

Here is method for the charcoal BBQ

Here is Chow's Grilled Pizza Dough recipe to get you going...

Missing Chinese Food

I have been away from China for 8 months now and boy do I miss the food. I miss the cheap take-aways and the great vibrant restaurants. The funky vegetables in the market, the smells.

I certainly don't miss the pollution though!

So to Germany we came. Clean air, efficiency and not so cheap food. But it is good.

So I will post some new food techniques soon. I was also start sharing sites that I have found that make my cooking and a wife's cooking so delicious and fun...

Stay tuned and enjoy the food.

I'm Back!

Well, here I was sitting in my new country of Germany and I realised that I gave up blogging 4 years ago, due to the "Great Chinese Firewall", which basically blocked all blogs, without illegally getting around them. So I stopped.

I have so much to say since then...